1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming method, and an image forming apparatus applicable to copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines. In particular, the present invention relates to an image forming method, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge in which the toner remaining on a photosensitive member after the image transfer is recovered by a development device.
2. Related Background Art
For miniaturizing the image forming apparatus, several techniques are known for cleaning an untransferred toner remaining on a photosensitive member after image transfer (hereinafter referred to as a remaining toner) simultaneously with electric charging or simultaneously with development by charging apparatus or developing apparatus.
Electric charging has been conducted conventionally by corona charging. However, the charging method is shifting to contact charging which generates less ozone by electric discharge from the standpoint of ecology. The contact charging member includes rollers, blades, fur brushes, and magnetic brushes.
However, in the case where a remaining toner on an image-holding member after image transfer is recovered temporarily by a magnetic brush charger formed by magnetic attraction of magnetic particles, some high-resistance toner particles (remaining toner after image transfer) enter an magnetic brush charger to lower the charging performance of the magnetic brush charger disadvantageously.
The toner recovered by the magnetic brush charger is again transferred onto the image-holding member, and is collected in the development device in a development step. However, the toner deteriorates in the magnetic brush charger, and causes problems as below. The recovered toner is not completely transferred onto the image holding member; the toner accumulates in the magnetic brush charger during the repeated image formation to lower the charging ability; the toner being transferred from the magnetic brush charger onto the image holding member and having been deteriorated in the magnetic brush charger cannot be recovered completely, causing fogging of the images; and the deteriorated toner recovered into the development device cannot be sufficiently utilized for the development, causing fogging of the images and scattering of the toner.